Electronic Messages with Embedded Musical Note Emoticons

1. A computer implemented method for authoring a message, comprising: enabling a user to compose an electronic message that includes a sequence of musical note emoticons that represent an audible musical sequence and also includes text; wherein the musical note emoticons in the sequence are selected from a set of distinct musical note emoticons, each associated with a distinct musical note; embedding the sequence of musical note emoticons within the text of the electronic message; and sending the electronic message.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein each musical note emoticon corresponds to a musical note on a diatonic scale.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2 , including enabling the user to enter a sequence of printable characters identifying a respective musical note emoticon in the sequence of musical note emoticons.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the sequence of printable characters includes at least one character representing duration of the musical note emoticon.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 2 , including selecting a respective musical note emoticon in the sequence of musical note emoticons from a predefined set of musical note emoticons.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 2 , the method further including audibly playing the sequence of musical note emoticons.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 2 , including selecting a respective musical note emoticon from a predefined set of musical note emoticons corresponding to distinct musical notes, and wherein the sequence of the musical note emoticons corresponds to a pattern of musical notes.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the pattern of musical notes corresponds to a song.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , including entering at least one printable character corresponding to the duration of a respective musical note emoticon in the sequence of musical note emoticons.

10. A computer implemented method for receiving a message, comprising: receiving an electronic message, including text and at least one musical note emoticon in a sequence of musical note emoticons embedded within the text of the electronic message, wherein the sequence of musical note emoticons represent an audible musical sequence, and wherein the musical note emoticons in the sequence are selected from a set of distinct musical note emoticons, each associated with a distinct musical note; displaying the electronic message, including the sequence of musical note emoticons; and audibly playing the embedded sequence of musical note emoticons.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 10 wherein the sequence of musical note emoticons corresponds to a pattern of musical notes.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 11 , wherein each musical note emoticon corresponds to a musical note on a diatonic scale and to a respective graphical image.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 10 wherein receiving the electronic message includes receiving a sequence of musical note emoticons corresponding to a pattern of musical notes and audibly playing the pattern of musical notes in sequential order.

14. A system for authoring a message, comprising: memory; one or more processors; and one or more modules stored in memory and configured for execution by the one or more processors, the modules comprising: instructions for enabling a user to compose an electronic message that includes a sequence of musical note emoticons that represent an audible musical sequence and also includes text; wherein the musical note emoticons in the sequence are selected from a set of distinct musical note emoticons, each associated with a distinct musical note; instructions for embedding the sequence of musical note emoticons within the text of the electronic message; and instructions for sending the electronic message.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein each musical note emoticon corresponds to a musical note on a diatonic scale.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein each musical note emoticon corresponds to a specific graphical image.

17. A system for receiving a message, comprising: memory; one or more processors; one or more speakers; and one or more modules stored in memory and configured for execution by the one or more processors, the modules comprising: instructions for receiving an authored electronic message, including text and at least one audible musical note emoticon in a sequence of musical note emoticons embedded within the text of the electronic message, wherein the sequence of musical note emoticons represent an audible musical sequence, and wherein the musical note emoticons in the sequence are selected from a set of distinct musical note emoticons, each associated with a distinct musical note; instructions for displaying the electronic message, including the sequence of musical note emoticons; and instructions for audibly playing the embedded sequence of musical note emoticons.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein each musical note emoticon corresponds to a musical note on a diatonic scale.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein each musical note emoticon corresponds to a specific graphical image.

20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the instructions for receiving the authored electronic message include receiving a sequence of musical note emoticons corresponding to a pattern of musical notes and audibly playing the pattern of musical notes.

21. A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising: instructions for enabling a user to compose an electronic message that includes a sequence of musical note emoticons that represent an audible musical sequence and also includes text; wherein the musical note emoticons in the sequence are selected from a set of distinct musical note emoticons, each associated with a distinct musical note; instructions for embedding the sequence of musical note emoticons within the text of the electronic message; and instructions for sending the electronic message.

22. A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising: instructions for receiving an authored electronic message, including text and at least one audible musical note emoticon in a sequence of musical note emoticons embedded within the text of the electronic message, wherein the sequence of musical note emoticons represent an audible musical sequence, and wherein the musical note emoticons in the sequence are selected from a set of distinct musical note emoticons, each associated with a distinct musical note; instructions for displaying the electronic message, including the sequence of musical note emoticons; and instructions for audibly playing the embedded sequence of musical note emoticons.

23. A computer comprising: means for enabling a user to compose an electronic message that includes a sequence of musical note emoticons that represent an audible musical sequence and also includes text; wherein the musical note emoticons in the sequence are selected from a set of distinct musical note emoticons, each associated with a distinct musical note; means for embedding the sequence of musical note emoticons within the text of the electronic message; and means for sending the electronic message.